Biographical Influences Essay William Faulkner was a quite man who rarely spoke to anyone. Although he did not graduate High School, Faulkner had an innate ability to remember even the slightest detail of things he heard. The past has always played a role in the telling of most of his stories. However, before we can understand his style of writing, it is important to understand what influences played an important role in his writings. William Faulkner was heavily influenced by his culture, love of his family, and passion for hunting to produce some of his most compelling stories. Many people how the culture of the South and Southern history has shaped and influenced Faulkners works. I have examined this theory by looking at an important figure in Faulkners life, the "Old Colonel," Faulkners great-grandfather. Although the "Old Colonel," William Clark Faulkner, died eight years before the author was born, his legacy seemed powerful Faulkners mind. The man was not only a Civil War officer, but also a successful planter, businessman, lawyer, even author! Killed tragically in a gun battle, the legend surrounding great-grandfather must have fueled Faulkners interest in the Old South, in distant family ties reaching back through the generations, and in his own dreams of becoming a famous writer.Faulkner grew up in Oxford, Mississippi where he remained except for brief trips to New Orleans, some youthful wanderings, and a few years in the Royal Air Force. After a promising start as a student, Faulkner began to lose interest and to do poorly in school when he entered his teens. It was at this time that he began to write poetry and short stories. In high school, he was more interested in sports and extracurricular activities than in his studies. The pattern of his writings was based upon what he saw in Oxford or remembered from his childhood; or scraps of family tradition, or in stories told by men in overalls, squatting on their heels while ...
